---
id: CVE-2025-6018
title: >-
  A Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) vulnerability has been discovered in
  pam-config within Linux Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)
summary: >-
  A Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) vulnerability has been discovered in
  pam-config within Linux Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM). This flaw
  allows an unprivileged local attacker (for example, a user logged in via SSH)
  to obtain the…
severity: high
cvss: 7.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-863
vendor: suse
product: pam-config
affected:
  - pam-config = 1.1.8-24.71.1
published: '2025-07-23'
updated: '2026-06-25'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-6018'
references:
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-6018'
    label: secalert@redhat.com
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2372693'
    label: secalert@redhat.com
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1243226'
    label: secalert@redhat.com
  - url: 'https://cdn2.qualys.com/2025/06/17/suse15-pam-udisks-lpe.txt'
    label: secalert@redhat.com
  - url: 'http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/08/28/4'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://cdn2.qualys.com/2025/06/17/suse15-pam-udisks-lpe.txt'
    label: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
tags:
  - nvd
  - exploit-available
epss: 0.01053
epssPercentile: 0.62841
exploitAvailable: true
ingestedAt: '2026-06-29T13:24:34.397Z'
exploits:
  exploitdb: true
  github: 14
  githubRepos:
    - 'https://github.com/iamgithubber/CVE-2025-6018-19-exploit'
    - 'https://github.com/dreysanox/CVE-2025-6018_Poc'
    - >-
      https://github.com/euxem/Analyse-faille-de-s-curit-CVE-2025-6018-CVE-2025-6019
  checkedAt: '2026-09-25T08:20:46.319Z'
---

## Overview

A Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) vulnerability has been discovered in pam-config within Linux Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM). This flaw allows an unprivileged local attacker (for example, a user logged in via SSH) to obtain the elevated privileges normally reserved for a physically present, "allow_active" user. The highest risk is that the attacker can then perform all allow_active yes Polkit actions, which are typically restricted to console users, potentially gaining unauthorized control over system configurations, services, or other sensitive operations.

## Affected

- `pam-config = 1.1.8-24.71.1`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.